Vermontmelbguy
@vermontmelbguy.bsky.social
🇮🇪 🇦🇺 Irish Australian in Melbourne, Australia
Reposted by Vermontmelbguy
I know that the MAGA coalition & Heritage Foundation aren’t going anywhere, but the infighting is still something to behold.
October 31, 2025 at 8:50 PM
I know that the MAGA coalition & Heritage Foundation aren’t going anywhere, but the infighting is still something to behold.
Reposted by Vermontmelbguy
There's no "infighting" - some of them are just pretending they aren't fascists and grifters and some of them are openly fascists and grifters because their position / wealth / connections allows them to harm people and rob people with impunity.
November 1, 2025 at 9:37 PM
There's no "infighting" - some of them are just pretending they aren't fascists and grifters and some of them are openly fascists and grifters because their position / wealth / connections allows them to harm people and rob people with impunity.
Reposted by Vermontmelbguy
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/o...
“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”
— Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”
— Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Opinion | On Republican Neo-Nazism, Hamas and Israel: An Epidemic of Moral Cowardice
www.nytimes.com
November 19, 2025 at 10:37 PM
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/o...
“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”
— Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”
— Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Reposted by Vermontmelbguy
Every finalist in 2021 to run the Heritage Foundation & Project 2025 was Opus Dei or an Opus Dei adjacent Catholic. Leonard Leo, who spent 35 years & $600 installing 6 Opus Dei adjacent Catholics on the Supreme Court, also funded 2/3 of orgs involved in Project 2025.
Probably just a coincidence.
Probably just a coincidence.
November 18, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Every finalist in 2021 to run the Heritage Foundation & Project 2025 was Opus Dei or an Opus Dei adjacent Catholic. Leonard Leo, who spent 35 years & $600 installing 6 Opus Dei adjacent Catholics on the Supreme Court, also funded 2/3 of orgs involved in Project 2025.
Probably just a coincidence.
Probably just a coincidence.
Reposted by Vermontmelbguy
In my years working in public interest communications, I learned reporters often have the story they plan to tell already formed in their minds before they contact “sources” and will use—and even shape—what is told to them in the service of that narrative.
Peter Coviello testifies to that process:
Peter Coviello testifies to that process:
Maybe Don’t Talk to the New York Times About Zohran Mamdani
It’s remarkable, the people you’ll hear from. Teach for even a little while at an expensive institution—the term they tend to prefer is “elite”—and odds are that eventually someone who was a studen…
lithub.com
November 8, 2025 at 6:57 PM
In my years working in public interest communications, I learned reporters often have the story they plan to tell already formed in their minds before they contact “sources” and will use—and even shape—what is told to them in the service of that narrative.
Peter Coviello testifies to that process:
Peter Coviello testifies to that process:
Reposted by Vermontmelbguy
Thanks to @sigladman.bsky.social Secular Agenda podcast for this crucial interview. Cults & hi-control churches are dangerous. We can’t let abuse continue under the polite veil of “respect” for “religion”. The stories here are gutting. #Auspol needs to copy #SpringSt
rationalist.com.au/podcasts/
rationalist.com.au/podcasts/
October 21, 2025 at 9:38 AM
Thanks to @sigladman.bsky.social Secular Agenda podcast for this crucial interview. Cults & hi-control churches are dangerous. We can’t let abuse continue under the polite veil of “respect” for “religion”. The stories here are gutting. #Auspol needs to copy #SpringSt
rationalist.com.au/podcasts/
rationalist.com.au/podcasts/
Reposted by Vermontmelbguy
This is a well informed perspective on Graham Platner's tattoo, from someone with an extensive U.S. military background.
Nah, in Europe there a few places that look professional that have a "book" or section on the wall with openly bigoted or nazi shit
I've seen soo many racist tattoos
But even then, a nazi tattoo artist will definitely asked if he was sure... then shared ideology tips during hours long tattoo
I've seen soo many racist tattoos
But even then, a nazi tattoo artist will definitely asked if he was sure... then shared ideology tips during hours long tattoo
a man with a beard is smiling and making a funny face with his mouth open .
ALT: a man with a beard is smiling and making a funny face with his mouth open .
media.tenor.com
October 22, 2025 at 1:07 PM
This is a well informed perspective on Graham Platner's tattoo, from someone with an extensive U.S. military background.
Reposted by Vermontmelbguy
They say that the medics were treating lacerations from stun grenades aimed around legs. Not just decontamination from pepper spray (that police don’t use on Nazi pals). Apparently the shock waves from these weapons are also really painful.
We need to discuss if we are ok with police weaponry.
We need to discuss if we are ok with police weaponry.
October 19, 2025 at 8:52 AM
They say that the medics were treating lacerations from stun grenades aimed around legs. Not just decontamination from pepper spray (that police don’t use on Nazi pals). Apparently the shock waves from these weapons are also really painful.
We need to discuss if we are ok with police weaponry.
We need to discuss if we are ok with police weaponry.
Reposted by Vermontmelbguy
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
The Australian (un)Christian Lobby and Freedom for Faith have pushed back against any new laws to protect vulnerable people from cults...well, of course, they would!
The Australian (un)Christian Lobby and Freedom for Faith have pushed back against any new laws to protect vulnerable people from cults...well, of course, they would!
Australian Christian Lobby says any new laws protecting people from cults could be ‘very dangerous’
Lobby groups tell Victorian inquiry legitimate churches could be caught up in any proposed crackdown on coercive practices
www.theguardian.com
October 21, 2025 at 8:54 AM
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
The Australian (un)Christian Lobby and Freedom for Faith have pushed back against any new laws to protect vulnerable people from cults...well, of course, they would!
The Australian (un)Christian Lobby and Freedom for Faith have pushed back against any new laws to protect vulnerable people from cults...well, of course, they would!
Reposted by Vermontmelbguy
“In the two years since the state started charging a 4% surtax on incomes over $1 million, the effort has created a $5.7 billion windfall, with the surplus being used to fund bridge repairs, bolster literacy programs and address the transportation system’s budget deficit”
Millionaire Tax That Inspired Mamdani Fuels $5.7 Billion Haul in Massachusetts
A millionaire levy in Massachusetts that New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani holds up as a model for taxing the rich has generated $3 billion more in revenue than expected without forcing...
www.bloomberg.com
October 21, 2025 at 6:07 PM
“In the two years since the state started charging a 4% surtax on incomes over $1 million, the effort has created a $5.7 billion windfall, with the surplus being used to fund bridge repairs, bolster literacy programs and address the transportation system’s budget deficit”
Reposted by Vermontmelbguy
1/ March for White 🇦🇺 news:
'Interrogated by neo-Nazis in the grp, including convicted criminal Jimeone Roberts, Chavura later defended himself for not attending AUG’s Nazi-run March for 🇦🇺 in person, noting he had been one of its “biggest promoters online”.' #WWJD
www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw...
'Interrogated by neo-Nazis in the grp, including convicted criminal Jimeone Roberts, Chavura later defended himself for not attending AUG’s Nazi-run March for 🇦🇺 in person, noting he had been one of its “biggest promoters online”.' #WWJD
www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw...
These academics defend white nationalism. Their college says that’s ‘freedom of speech’
A small but influential Catholic higher education institution launched an investigation into two senior staff over public comments about Australia’s racial identity.
www.smh.com.au
October 17, 2025 at 2:49 AM
1/ March for White 🇦🇺 news:
'Interrogated by neo-Nazis in the grp, including convicted criminal Jimeone Roberts, Chavura later defended himself for not attending AUG’s Nazi-run March for 🇦🇺 in person, noting he had been one of its “biggest promoters online”.' #WWJD
www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw...
'Interrogated by neo-Nazis in the grp, including convicted criminal Jimeone Roberts, Chavura later defended himself for not attending AUG’s Nazi-run March for 🇦🇺 in person, noting he had been one of its “biggest promoters online”.' #WWJD
www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw...
Reposted by Vermontmelbguy
"Chavura, a weekly guest on The Bolt Report on Monday nights, was a keynote speaker at one Never Again is Now event and regularly promotes the March for Australia, which have been attended by Australian Neo-Nazis"
September 30, 2025 at 4:55 AM
"Chavura, a weekly guest on The Bolt Report on Monday nights, was a keynote speaker at one Never Again is Now event and regularly promotes the March for Australia, which have been attended by Australian Neo-Nazis"
Reposted by Vermontmelbguy
Love to live in a country where 'I'm quitting shadow cabinet to spend more time with my racism" is a clear first step towards party leadership and more puff pieces
October 3, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Love to live in a country where 'I'm quitting shadow cabinet to spend more time with my racism" is a clear first step towards party leadership and more puff pieces
Reposted by Vermontmelbguy
Well, think we’re gonna be 3D printing a bunch more Aztec death whistles
Whistling when ICE is about to kidnap someone for no reason is incredibly effective. They know what they are doing is wrong and will scatter in the wind when too many witnesses gather.
October 12, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Well, think we’re gonna be 3D printing a bunch more Aztec death whistles
Reposted by Vermontmelbguy
interesting that justice barrett thinks it's appropriate for a judge to appear on a transparently partisan propaganda network like FNC
Amy Coney Barrett defends heavy use of the shadow docket: "If we wrote a long opinion, it might give the impression that we have finally resolved the issue, and in none of these cases have we finally resolved the issue."
October 13, 2025 at 12:36 AM
interesting that justice barrett thinks it's appropriate for a judge to appear on a transparently partisan propaganda network like FNC
Reposted by Vermontmelbguy
🌞Total land required to replace coal fired energy
🌞Example assumes all solar:120,000 hectares
🌞 That’s less than 0.016 percent of Australia’s total land currently used for agriculture
🌞 Australian agriculture currently accounts for 58% of our land use
🌞And agrisolar = panels + grass/sheep etc
🌞Example assumes all solar:120,000 hectares
🌞 That’s less than 0.016 percent of Australia’s total land currently used for agriculture
🌞 Australian agriculture currently accounts for 58% of our land use
🌞And agrisolar = panels + grass/sheep etc
October 11, 2025 at 8:36 AM
🌞Total land required to replace coal fired energy
🌞Example assumes all solar:120,000 hectares
🌞 That’s less than 0.016 percent of Australia’s total land currently used for agriculture
🌞 Australian agriculture currently accounts for 58% of our land use
🌞And agrisolar = panels + grass/sheep etc
🌞Example assumes all solar:120,000 hectares
🌞 That’s less than 0.016 percent of Australia’s total land currently used for agriculture
🌞 Australian agriculture currently accounts for 58% of our land use
🌞And agrisolar = panels + grass/sheep etc
Reposted by Vermontmelbguy
Good people need to start outing their ICE family members, neighbors, and community members.
They need to be made into pariahs in the places decent Americans gather.
They need to be made into pariahs in the places decent Americans gather.
October 12, 2025 at 2:08 AM
Good people need to start outing their ICE family members, neighbors, and community members.
They need to be made into pariahs in the places decent Americans gather.
They need to be made into pariahs in the places decent Americans gather.
Reposted by Vermontmelbguy
This was from today (Friday). 🙂 Protest activity outside here has been ongoing for weeks, but Friday has been a consistent convening, I think.
Really great journalists with terrific threads to follow:
@unraveledpress.com
@peoplesfabric.com
@mulchy.bsky.social
Really great journalists with terrific threads to follow:
@unraveledpress.com
@peoplesfabric.com
@mulchy.bsky.social
October 10, 2025 at 7:11 PM
This was from today (Friday). 🙂 Protest activity outside here has been ongoing for weeks, but Friday has been a consistent convening, I think.
Really great journalists with terrific threads to follow:
@unraveledpress.com
@peoplesfabric.com
@mulchy.bsky.social
Really great journalists with terrific threads to follow:
@unraveledpress.com
@peoplesfabric.com
@mulchy.bsky.social
Reposted by Vermontmelbguy
🚨 Boycott Roll Call 🚨
Pinning this to track who's in. Full freeze or just cutting back. It all counts.
📝 Drop a comment:
• What you're avoiding
• Any workarounds or wins
• Tips for spreading the word
📖 Full guide:
psychopete1.substack.com/p/psycho-pet...
Loud is leverage. Let’s be seen.
Pinning this to track who's in. Full freeze or just cutting back. It all counts.
📝 Drop a comment:
• What you're avoiding
• Any workarounds or wins
• Tips for spreading the word
📖 Full guide:
psychopete1.substack.com/p/psycho-pet...
Loud is leverage. Let’s be seen.
Psycho Pete's Living Guide to Boycotting the Big Orange Machine.
Broadcasting from the future but updating in real time ...
psychopete1.substack.com
July 20, 2025 at 9:03 AM
🚨 Boycott Roll Call 🚨
Pinning this to track who's in. Full freeze or just cutting back. It all counts.
📝 Drop a comment:
• What you're avoiding
• Any workarounds or wins
• Tips for spreading the word
📖 Full guide:
psychopete1.substack.com/p/psycho-pet...
Loud is leverage. Let’s be seen.
Pinning this to track who's in. Full freeze or just cutting back. It all counts.
📝 Drop a comment:
• What you're avoiding
• Any workarounds or wins
• Tips for spreading the word
📖 Full guide:
psychopete1.substack.com/p/psycho-pet...
Loud is leverage. Let’s be seen.
Reposted by Vermontmelbguy
We’re in a civil war without an army for the losing side.
we simply do not have a union anymore if the president is using troops from one state to invade others entirely on the basis of political disagreements
UPDATE: Hegseth today called up 400 members of the Texas National Guard, with Gov. Abbott's apparent permission, to be deployed "where needed, including in the cities of Portland and Chicago." www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
October 6, 2025 at 3:27 AM
We’re in a civil war without an army for the losing side.
Reposted by Vermontmelbguy
"Or, as Christopher Paul and Miriam Matthews put it in their study of the Russian "firehose of falsehood," it's best to expose the manipulation process, rather than fight the specific manipulation." - @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social
How to Push Back Against Propaganda
Disinformation is the scourge of our time
lucid.substack.com
August 1, 2025 at 3:12 PM
"Or, as Christopher Paul and Miriam Matthews put it in their study of the Russian "firehose of falsehood," it's best to expose the manipulation process, rather than fight the specific manipulation." - @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social
Reposted by Vermontmelbguy
I started my career on the dark side of data privacy a decade ago, monetizing Precise Geolocation Data in the days before privacy laws and technical controls.
Believe me when I tell you that Precise Geo is Digital Plutonium.
It should be illegal to sell. It should be strictly purpose limited.
Believe me when I tell you that Precise Geo is Digital Plutonium.
It should be illegal to sell. It should be strictly purpose limited.
New: ICE has bought a tool that tracks the locations of hundreds of millions of phones globally, updates every single day. Usually harvested from apps and advertising
www.404media.co/ice-to-buy-t...
www.404media.co/ice-to-buy-t...
ICE to Buy Tool that Tracks Locations of Hundreds of Millions of Phones Every Day
Documents show that ICE has gone back on its decision to not use location data remotely harvested from peoples' phones. The database is updated every day with billions of pieces of location data.
www.404media.co
September 30, 2025 at 10:10 PM
I started my career on the dark side of data privacy a decade ago, monetizing Precise Geolocation Data in the days before privacy laws and technical controls.
Believe me when I tell you that Precise Geo is Digital Plutonium.
It should be illegal to sell. It should be strictly purpose limited.
Believe me when I tell you that Precise Geo is Digital Plutonium.
It should be illegal to sell. It should be strictly purpose limited.
Reposted by Vermontmelbguy
ICE is buying a location tracking tool that harvests data from hundreds of millions of phones a day. Protect your location data by updating a few settings on your phone 🧵 (1/4): www.404media.co/ice-to-buy-...
ICE to Buy Tool that Tracks Locations of Hundreds of Millions of Phones Every Day
Documents show that ICE has gone back on its decision to not use location data remotely harvested from peoples' phones. The database is updated every day with billions of pieces of location data.
www.404media.co
October 2, 2025 at 11:13 PM
ICE is buying a location tracking tool that harvests data from hundreds of millions of phones a day. Protect your location data by updating a few settings on your phone 🧵 (1/4): www.404media.co/ice-to-buy-...
Reposted by Vermontmelbguy
Two lecturers at Catholic Campion College in Sydney are overt white supremacists. They are both interlinked with #AtlasNetwork and connected operations. Read this reporting to see how overt these figures are.
We look at Pentecostal extremism; watch this too. #Auspol
archive.is/2025.10.01-2...
We look at Pentecostal extremism; watch this too. #Auspol
archive.is/2025.10.01-2...
October 2, 2025 at 4:14 AM
Two lecturers at Catholic Campion College in Sydney are overt white supremacists. They are both interlinked with #AtlasNetwork and connected operations. Read this reporting to see how overt these figures are.
We look at Pentecostal extremism; watch this too. #Auspol
archive.is/2025.10.01-2...
We look at Pentecostal extremism; watch this too. #Auspol
archive.is/2025.10.01-2...